Question
I am a 31-year-old female. I’ve noticed that my parents’ generation usually has scars on their left arms from preventing tuberculosis, and so do people of the same age. I know that newborns need to be vaccinated with the BCG vaccine, but after asking my parents, I learned that I was not vaccinated when I was young. My elders are traditional Chinese medicine practitioners and advise against vaccination. I would like to know if it is necessary to get vaccinated now?
Answer
Based on the inquirer’s description, it seems they are referring to the BCG vaccine, which is administered to newborns to prevent tuberculosis. If the inquirer wishes to receive the BCG vaccine, they should first undergo a tuberculin test. If the result is negative, they can consider getting vaccinated. If the result is weakly positive, it indicates that they have been infected with the tuberculosis bacteria and have some level of immunity, and it is usually not recommended to get vaccinated. If the result is strongly positive, it may indicate active tuberculosis, and treatment should be considered.